31 January 2009

I passionately hate chain emails. Especially the ones that promise you your every wish come true if you forward the email to at least seven other people. If you don't, the opposite will happen. Your life is going to suck. Forever. Or something to that extent. I always, without fail, break the chain. Live dangerously! (Maybe that is why I am living the American Nightmare at the moment, rather than the American Dream? Hmmm...)

There is this thing currently going around on Facebook where you write 25 random facts about yourself, tag the people that are somehow connected to those random facts (and have a Facebook-account), and then it's their turn to write 25 random facts about themselves. Someone was just telling me about it earlier this week. And what do you know? I log in to Facebook and I have been tagged. It's my turn.

What do I do now? I really enjoyed Sheila's list of random facts and it seems only fair I also make an effort. But is fairness an issue here? What about my hatred of chain mail? Who do I tag? I was thinking about the following solution. I will make my list, publish it, but perhaps not tag anyone. But that's silly, really. Then it's just a list of random facts. I have my weblog for that.

Oh, what the heck...!

So, aside from despising chain emails, what other random facts can I convey about myself?

1. The only time I came close to having a pen pal was with Mats Wilander's older brother. I can't remember his name, actually I think it might be Ingmar, but my dad dubbed him Pete. Whenever there was tennis on the television, he would ask me: "Heard anything from Pete Wilander lately?" He kept this joke up for years. Long after Mats Wilander's career ended.

2. I am a firm believer in love at first sight and listening to your heart. It doesn't make for an easy path necessarily, but most definitely one worth following.

3. Because Dutch is not really the most un-useful language to be fluent in, globally speaking, I was once determined to learn Gaelic. I even went so far as to purchase the book AND the cassettes for Teach Yourself Gaelic. When I moved to the US, they didn’t make the cut.

4. I am half a thesis shy of a Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology. And no, I can’t finish it because the Dutch higher education system has changed and I missed my window of opportunity. I am a wanker. (Two facts for the price of one.)

5. Amsterdam will always be the most beautiful city in the world, but I do not miss it. I really love living the country life. I want to have chickens! Of course, being a mere ten-minute drive from downtown Olympia probably disqualifies us as country folk. But I can pretend.

6. I once sang Battle Hymn of the Republic on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

7. The day of my 40th birthday lasted 25 hours. I met Ryan that year, got married, and conceived Lola. I am not too big a fan of ‘life begins at 40’ because it ignores the previous 39 years, but I cannot dismiss this. My life as I know it began at 40.

8. I can type with ten fingers. Totally self-taught!

9. I fantasize about one day having a great big house with a wrap-around porch and having our entire family come and spend the holidays with us. I would decorate each guest room with its own Christmas tree. Very Martha Stewart.

10. My first car was a 1969 Fiat 500L. Cream colored, very cute. Until my purse was stolen I actually walked around with a picture of my car in my wallet.

11. I fall deeper in love with my daughter every day. She is the most beautiful, cutest, funniest, smartest, sweetest girl I have ever met. There is no one like her. And I am NOT prejudiced.

12. I wish I were a better photographer. More specifically I would like to do more in black & white. But having a digital camera makes me lazy. It’s so easy!

13. I haven’t seen my sister and my nephews since I left for the United States. That is far too long. They have become dudes and she has become an aunt since then. It is so cool be an aunt.

14. One of my best friends and I owe our friendship to Bruce Springsteen.

15. We were also THIS close to becoming Huey Lewis groupies. If that had actually happened, you would NOT be reading about it.

16. I have never been admitted to a hospital in my life. (Knock on wood.) I was not born in one and I did not give birth in one.

17. Last week I succumbed to the pressure of working in a bead store and purchased beads, cord, and a kumihimo disk. This is a dangerous development. It can be very costly to work in a place where you really like the merchandise and get an employee discount, as my co-worker can confirm.

18. I am eleven years, four months, and four days older than my husband. This is only apparent when we talk about music. Whether it’s about my awesome eighties record collection or Ryan lecturing me on the proper way to flip a record. “Honey, I was flipping records when you were sh***in’ your pants.” (This is not my line. This is what Ryan thinks I should have said that time, and I agree.)

19. I prefer driving a car with a stick shift, rather than an automatic. It’s just more fun that way. As long as you’re not stuck in traffic.

20. Occasionally I give in to my inner dork and google myself.

21. The most decadent thing I have ever done was fly from Amsterdam to Miami for the weekend to join three of my American Junior High School friends and celebrate our birthdays in Key West.

22. I would kill for a dishwasher. No, a washing machine. No, plumbing. No, …

23. The way Ryan and I got together is double cliché. We were set up at a wedding. Best thing that ever happened to me. Hands down.

24. To prepare for Life In The Barn, we watched Braveheart. Now those were rough times! I am pretty sure my Gaelic would have been better than Mel Gibson’s, though.